A previously unknown tarantula discovered in the forests of Guyana in South America is absolutely stunning – its legs and body are a shimmering electric disco blue.

The find, according to the tarantula’s discoverer Andrew Snyder, is an important one, and not just because it’s such an unusual example of the Theraphosidae family. It highlights the importance of invertebrate conservation and the forests in which it dwells.

The discovery of the tarantula is just one of a haul of dozens of previously unknown species uncovered during a survey of the Kaieteur National Park and the Upper Potaro River.

If you follow natural science, you will know that we find previously unknown species on a fairly regular basis – certainly enough for an annual top 10 new species list.

As an interesting aside, in 2015 researchers found that there are multiple tarantulas with blue colouring, and they all evolved it using different mechanisms. It’s probably not sexually selected – which suggests there’s a good reason for it, we just don’t know what it is.

On closer examination of the tree stump, Snyder found several other holes, each of which contained a tarantula – suggesting a possibility that the species is communal.

Early analysis based only on the photographs Snyder was able to obtain suggests it may belong to the subfamily Ischnocolinae, of which some species are indeed communal.

More research will need to be conducted to accurately classify the species and learn more about its habits, but in the meantime, Snyder hopes it can help highlight the importance of invertebrate conservation in Guyana.

The biodiversity survey provides a wildlife assessment that may assist in designing practices to maintain habitats and animal life.

“This upland region where the surveys took place represents a very important transition zone for species between the lowlands and the highlands and was characterised by high levels of endemism for many taxonomic groups,” Snyder said.

“This rapid inventory was able to provide an important glimpse into this special area and habitats, though more work is necessary to shed light on all of the region’s secrets.”